Longtime Philadelphia 76ers statistician Harvey Pollack passed away Tuesday night. He was 93.
Pollack worked for the NBA since the first day of the league’s inception all the way back in 1946. He’s perhaps most famously known for handing Wilt Chamberlain his famous “100” sign after Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. Pollack is also widely celebrated for his recording and use of advanced stats much before they became popular in the mainstream. His yearly Harvey Pollack Statistical Yearbook was a must-have for NBA die-hards season after season.
There are a bunch of great pieces on Pollack highlighting his truly incredible NBA career: FiveThirtyEight on Pollack and his favorite player, Wilt. This Philadelphia Daily News profile, which notes Pollack went Guinness World Record 3,420 consecutive days wearing a different t-shirt! And this wide-ranging NBA.com interview with Pollack. You can also head over to the NBA History Twitter account for some more facts from Pollack’s long career with the Association.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement about Pollack’s passing Tuesday night:
“There has never been an NBA without Harvey Pollack, who has been part of the NBA family since he was tracking statistics for the Philadelphia Warriors during the league’s inaugural season. He documented NBA history for nearly 70 years with passion, curiosity and a relentless work ethic. Harvey has been a true caretaker and ambassador of the game, and he will be sorely missed. The entire NBA family sends its deepest condolences to the Pollack family as well as the Philadelphia 76ers organization.”
Photo via AP